Roe deer are spreading to the outskirts of Lahti – the number of white-tailed deer is also increasing

Ossi Saarinen snapped two wild forest reindeer in action in the Laune district of Lahti. Photo by Ossi Saarinen. Kuva:Ossi Saarinen

The numbers of roe deer and white-tailed deer are increasing in the Päijät-Häme region, according to Lasse Perttola from the Lahti region’s Game Management Association. While no estimates on the deer populations are available for this winter, Perttola says that the number of roe deer is increasing, particularly in the suburban areas of Lahti. White-tailed deer are less likely to venture into populated areas than roe deer, which have also been spotted in gardens in Lahti. While some residents feed the animals, others are not so keen to have them on their properties. Perttola does not outright forbid the feeding of the deer but he does not recommend it either,

because in residential areas the animals are at risk of being hit by cars. According to him, deer have been involved in around ten traffic accidents in the Lahti region this year alone.

Roe deer and white-tailed deer can be told apart on the basis of their tails. The white-tailed deer has a longer tail, which the animal often raises, whereas the roe deer’s tail is very short and barely visible.